Trademark

IP

A recognisable sign or design that identifies products or services from a particular source.

Sources

1. World Intellectual Property Organization — Trademarks wipo.int accessed 23 September 2026

WIPO defines a trademark as “a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises”, and registration “will confer an exclusive right to the use of the registered trademark”, which the proprietor may use or license. On duration: “The term of trademark registration can vary, but is usually ten years. It can be renewed indefinitely on payment of additional fees.” That renewability is the practical difference from a patent — a trademark can outlive its owner’s business, a patent cannot outlive its term.

WIPO’s own wording; national registries set their own terms and fees within it.

Related terms

• Compulsory Licensing
• Copyright
• Data Exclusivity
• EUIPO
• European Patent Office
• Patent

From the AJG lexicon archive (July 2026).